Page 41 of Asher's Assignment
“I hold out no hope I won’t get something this week. You might have to dip into your medicine stash to save me.” He flashed her a cheeky grin.
She sent him a sunny smile. “I’ll dig it out and put it where you can find it.”
Asher let out a low laugh. “Thank you.”
A few minutes after they left the Tylers’, he turned into the parking lot of the store he’d found in his search.
“I don’t normally shop here.” Esther got out of the car, staring up at the store’s façade with a curious furrow to her forehead.
“I wanted to make sure I could get everything I needed.”
“What are we having, anyway? You didn’t say.”
The store’s door swished open, admitting them.
“Tangine. It can be made several ways, and with many different spices. I found a recipe I liked a lot years ago and make it routinely at home.” Just the memory of the mix of spices and rich sauce had his stomach growling. “It gives me leftovers and then I don’t have to cook as much.”
“Well, I can’t wait to try it.” She grabbed a shopping cart, dropping her purse into the child seat, and followed Asher.
Winding their way through the aisles, they both added things to the cart as they went.
“How do we split this?” Esther asked when they reached the registers.
He grabbed several items and set them on the belt. “I’ll pay. You can get the next load.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Together, they got everything unloaded. Asher paid for their groceries, and they left.
“What’s that?” Esther pointed at the car. Under the windshield wiper, a piece of paper flapped in the breeze.
“Probably a flyer.” Asher hit the button to open the back hatch, and they unloaded the groceries. Ready to go, he reached over the doorframe, snatching the paper from under the wiper and unfolded it. His forehead wrinkled with a frown as he read the single word written on the sheet.
Thief.
“What’s it say?”
He turned it around so Esther could see. Her eyes bugged out when she read the single word.
“Do you think someone saw you take the blister pack from the trash?”
“I’m not sure. Seems like a strong response to going through someone’s garbage.” Asher looked up, eyeing the parking lot. A woman exited the store, pushing a cart to a black SUV, a baby in the basket. Across the aisle, an older woman unloaded her groceries into the trunk of a silver sedan. A man in athletic pants and a t-shirt jogged toward the doors. No one looked out of place.
But Asher could feel eyes on them. They pricked the back of his neck, making the fine hairs there stand on end. “Let’s get out of here.” Stuffing the note into his pocket, he opened the car and slid inside. Zach now had two things to run for prints.
Sixteen
Steam filled the bathroom as Esther got ready for work. She swiped at the mirror with a towel, then picked up her foundation. She’d opened the door after she dressed, but some of the humidity lingered. It didn’t help that Asher had already made the room muggy when he took a shower before her.
Dabbing her face with a makeup sponge, she smoothed out the foundation, then applied highlights and bronzer. With a dab of blush, a few strokes of eyeshadow, and some mauve lipstick, she left the bathroom. All she needed were her shoes and her phone, and she could go caffeinate herself.
Her footfalls were silent on the thick cream carpet as she entered her bedroom. Wandering into her closet, she picked out a pair of brown boots to go with her outfit, then sat on her bed to put them on. The zippers slid up with a quiet rasp.
Reaching over, she snatched her phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up as she lifted it, showing she had a text.
Esther frowned. Who would text at this hour?
